Don’t avoid them even though it is a weekend. You will benefit and enjoy the weekend more if you take simple steps now to understand your problems better. Write down your thoughts about them. Then, write down some possible approaches. If you get sucked into actually solving them, remember you’ll feel a LOT better afterward, and not just a fleeting sensory “better”, but a genuine feeling of release.

Remember your hyperbolic sensory function wants you to be extreme and seek the best of the best sensory experiences. Take a calm line there. Your real gifts are in perception and analysis. So perceive! Analyze. Do research. You got a problem? Run the numbers. Spreadsheet it. Diagram it. Mind map it. Through this kind of effort you will get life’s cheat codes handed to you.

Some sensory relaxation is important. But too much is quite common.

We also push ourselves as INTJs to use our senses to chase an amazing career. The weekend becomes our big practice session. Woo hoo, non-stop coding! Illustrating! Woodworking! Whatever it is, understand that you’re not using your first two functions here. Or your third. This is your fourth function, inferior extraverted sensing. Use it more than just a little bit for fun, and it will punish you.

If you must push it, remember that it is improvisatory. It doesn’t like all of your deep planning. It wants yo to just dive in and perform. That will make things easier.

Still, expecting to spend your whole weekend doing productive sensory/detail work is a fool’s errand for most INTJs. Especially the young ones who think they need to be a billionaire in order to match what their inner vision tells them about themselves. Do the math—there’s a part of your brain that’s quietly protesting that. It wants you to do the math. Run the numbers. How much will ever be enough?

Remember that anxiety can get bad on Sunday night. If you struggle with compulsive, anxiety-driven behavior, the stuff you’re not happy about, that’s when it’ll tend to really come out.

Thoughts of Monday are stressful. Especially if you haven’t thought about Monday yet. Don’t avoid it. Use Monday planning as a way to allow yourself to relax. Look at your Monday schedule with a little bit of distance. Say, “It won’t be so bad. I’ll do this and this and it’ll be OK.” Take just five minutes.

Five minutes, maybe ten max. Your weekend will be better after that, INTJ. Get your thoughts out of your head.

Hi, I’m Marc Carson. This my psychology blog, where I write about Jungian type theory, typology, and type development for INTJs. I focus mainly on the INTJ personality type, though a lot of people of various types visit to learn about their INTJ friends and family members.

All types are welcome here, and I don’t believe that any personality type is better than the others.

Aside from my main day job as a website development business owner, I also own a life & career coaching business. I am certified in the assessment of psychological type and administration of restricted psychometric instruments by the Breckenridge Institute. I’m also a member of APTi, the Association for Psychological Type International. I have given presentations on personality type to large and small audiences.

If you’re interested in expanding your INTJ gifts, read my new book, Gifts of the Intuitive Theorist: 300 INTJ Strengths to Try. It ought to be a valuable investment if you’re looking to expand your potential and discover new strengths, or recover from burnout and develop a more enjoyable life. A sample PDF is available, as are some production notes on putting it together.

Coaching for INTJs

I offer career, life, and performance coaching for INTJs. If you are ready to accelerate your personal growth, or just need to regain control of your life, get in touch.

My coaching business contact information and intake form are available at the Marc Carson Coaching website.

The study of personality type has transformed me, literally and figuratively. I lost 100 pounds, over 35% of my body weight, by applying the principles I learned during my study of psychological type.

After reaching a healthy weight for the first time in my adult life, I realized a new level of happiness created by deep psychological change, rather than weight loss alone. From that time forward, I began to apply what I learned to other areas of my life. The result has been a fascinating journey toward the discovery and application of my strengths.

Get in Touch

If what you find here is useful to you, I’d love to hear about it. If you’d like to see your INTJ question or favorite topic covered here, let me know. My Email Address is: Marc@MarcCarsonCoaching.com